Yale in Third Spot After Day One

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – After the first day of competition at the Feb. 11-12 Ivy League Championships, the Yale women's fencing team finds itself in a tie for third spot after posting a 2-1 record at Coxe Cage.

The Bulldogs' day began with a win, as they narrowly beat out Brown 14-13 in their opening round match-up. That victory included strong performances by both the foil and epee weapons squads, which claimed 6-3 verdicts; the sabre squad finished the match at 2-7.

That win, junior captain Robyn Shaffer noted, put the team already ahead of last year's result. At last year's Ivy League Championships, Yale finished with a 0-6 record after a tough weekend of competition.

After the lunch break, Yale took on Harvard, falling 21-6 against a determined opposition. The Crimson found victories in all three weapons squads, winning sabre 8-1, foil 6-3 and epee 7-2.

But the Bulldogs quickly fought back strongly, defeating Cornell 16-11 in the final match-up of the day. In that victory, the foil and epee squads again found success, posting 6-3 verdicts; the sabre squad finished at 4-5.

The opening day's competition positions the team strongly for Sunday; Yale finished the day in a tie for third place with Harvard, behind Columbia and Princeton.

On Sunday, Yale will face Princeton at 10:00 a.m. before the lunch break. Then, the team will finish-off competition with matches against Penn and Columbia.

Tickets for the Ivy League Championship can be purchased at the door. A day pass costs $5 for adults and $3 for students. A weekend pass costs $8 for adults and $5 for students.